Short Business Presentation Mantras

Author: Harish K Saini

There is a growing trend of short communication prevalent these days. People prefer short forms like CEO instead of Chief Executive Officer or VP instead of Vice President habitually. Use of SMS (Short Messaging Service) for communication, short links or communication through Twitter in 140 characters is the order of the day. All of this indicates surely that Shorting is the in-thing today.

Shorting is need of hour:

But why Shorting is growing as a dominant trend? We live in a fast-paced world where everyone has a time-crunch and thus, saving every moment of time is crucial. In this struggle of time, it becomes imperative for all of us that we present ourselves effectively in the minimum time-length, and more so, in presentations and videos.

Shorting in Videos:

Videos have been a great medium for showcasing businesses. With the trend of Shorting setting in more definitely, businesses are going to be presented in a more succinct manner. Video or Presentations are going to be catchier, more reliable and more educating than any static website or brochure. There are a number of videos around in the form of Corporate Videos, Product Videos and Factory Videos, but according to me, the hitch lies in the length of these videos. As per my experience, a company wants to showcase each & everything about it, its business or products and services which finally increase the duration of presentation.

Long videos are secondary:

I have seen people asking for duration like 10 minutes or even more than that. In the pursuit of showing everything, they forget the fact that the person, who is going to see it, may not be much interested in knowing about the year of establishment of their company, make-of-machine that they have in their factory or at times, the CSR-activity they did last year. Of course, these are relevant pieces of information but their communication is needed at a later stage when they have successfully engaged the very target. So first thing first, engage your customer with the introductory video and then talk in depth after you are assured of his attention. At the second stage, factory-shots or machine-shots or even CSR- videos etc. augur well, as he is engaged and ready to understand you better. A detailed video presentation now certainly makes sense.

Change is coming:

I am looking for the time when SBP (Short Business Presentation) will be a reality, just like Short Messaging Service (SMS) in mobile.
Here is what I think One-minute Business Presentation or SBP should include,

Mantras of a Short Business Presentation:

1. 1. Be extraordinary and grab attention
      • Try an unusual start and description of what your company does…
      • Afterwards, describe what you offer, try to connect it with benefits that a customer can get
      • Try to present your company’s name at the start or immediately after your ‘unusual start’
   2. Laser focus on your message:

Don’t try to cover too many different things in one minute. Stick to one conclusion/ one major benefit / one major reason for your company to be contacted

1. 1. • Provide a great, remarkable or shocking statistic
      • Pass on a funny and relevant story
      • Give advice to solve a common issue or provide the answer to a question you have often asked
   2. Presentation should be about “You” not about “Me”

Ensure that it is “You” which should be highlighted all the time and not “Me”. Show that you understand your customers well and only then, you will be trusted for solutions by them.
Don’t just talk about yourself (we do this, I do that…). Talk about the points or issues the target-audience may be looking to solve.

1. Call to Action:
   • Details of “How to get associated”
   • Details of “one of your offers and how to take it up”
   • How and where to buy/view a new product
   • Connecting on LinkedIn or Liking your Facebook Page

Do you have presentation for your company? Is it Short Business presentation or longer one? Share your views on ideal duration of presentation.