With an estimated 30 million presentations made each day, most occurring in the business sector, it is clear that the bottom line for many companies can be directly affected by the presentation’s quality. In fact, while the presentation topics are in essence infinitely diverse, the common denominator shared among most of is the need to inspire and ultimately produce some form of action (purchase/consumption of the presenter’s goods or services) on the part of the audience.
To add “power” to presentations, many companies are reaching for software such as PowerPoint or Keynote. However, much of the information communicated in these presentations, being new to the audience, has a low rate of retention, resulting in decreased effectiveness.
To help communicate main points and expand on topics covered in the presentation, many companies lean on paper-based print outs. This is a simple and effective tactic. However, with the latest focus on greener business practices in the corporate environment and statistics pointing to the average U.S. office worker already throwing away 1,500 printed pages per year, presentation printouts may not be the most mindful solution.
Another tactic employed by some companies is to design a section on their website to display either elements of the presentation content or the actual presentation slides. This is often accomplished by adding a sub page to the presenting company’s website ” www.companyxyz.com/howtogogreener.” While this is a smart communication strategy, unless the audience is given incentives for visiting the website page(s), chances are a small percentage of the audience will take the initiative to pay a post-presentation visit.
Some pioneering companies are leveraging the power of customized flash drives to help make an immediate impact with their audience, resulting in higher response rates. In comparison to traditional tactics, the use of flash drives to enhance the effectiveness of a business presentation offers a greener approach and requires little action if any from the audience outside the course of their normal daily routine. In fact, by providing audience members with a flash drive preloaded with a presentation and/or other materials (add links to company website, photos, any digital content deemed applicable), they now have a functional, mobile data storage device that adds value to their workday.
As brand is king in the American marketplace, it’s a wise investment to take the concept of preloaded flash drives one step further and have the company brand imprinted or etched on the outside of the usb drive. If your audience is smaller and more intimate/specific, offering personalized (recipient name on one side & company logo/info on the opposite side) drives is a tangible example of professionalism and respect.
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