The Science of Effective Presentations. With Nadjya Ghausi [Episode 568]

Nadjya Ghausi, VP of Marketing at Prezi, joins me on this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Nadjya says the single biggest challenge facing sales reps today is noise. Attention spans are decreasing while competition for attention is increasing. Reps need to learn to engage prospects by zeroing in on their wants and needs.

Prezi started in 2009 in Hungary and moved to San Francisco. There is a user base of 85 million. It is a unique presentation platform built on an open canvas that allows free collaboration and conversation.

Prezi’s non-linear navigation is unique. With pans and zooms, the experience is more like a movie than a slideshow.

Prezi was the inspiration of an architect/visual designer and partners. They wanted a presentation that made good relational use of space and freeform movement. It became a unique new approach to communication.

Nadjya explains how a user creates a Prezi. Start with the end you want to reach. Think of visual metaphors to use along the way. Consider story structure, and nonlinear paths to establish the story. The canvas presents topics at a glance.

Prezi allows reps to zoom into what the prospect wants to know, whether introduction or detail. This can focus and help accelerate the sales cycle. Nadjya contrasts Prezi with a sales deck. Prezi is usable as an interactive conversation.

Presenters using Powerpoint are telling a sequential story. Prezi requires mastery of your subject matter, leading to better conversations. Graphic presentations are more persuasive than text presentations.

Nadjya discusses graphics, and expectations, as audiences will evolve through generations. Storytelling is a natural aspect of Prezi.

Storytelling is an underdeveloped skill in sales. Prezi makes it easier to present your story.

Prezi tracks how the presentation goes and what is shown, with analytics integrated into Slack or Salesforce.

Prezi can share editing through Slack with permissions. Analytics note the time each user spends with a Prezi. In the course of a meeting, a Prezi can be zoomed in as the prospect comments. Watch for Augmented Reality to come!

Preparing a Prezi, Nadjya asks herself what’s the best visual way to explain what she’s saying, and how all the parts fit together or stand alone. Higher user engagement adds memorability.