Business
Presentation: Serve and Project
You
have been trying to set an appointment with this client for
weeks. Suddenly, the opportunity is here and you have to be
ready in 3 days. What do you do first? Well, that probably
depends on who will be at the meeting. Is it a group of top
execs and the CEO, or is it people from HR and R&D? Will it
be folks from marketing and sales? Some of each? Who is
going to make the final decision? Most people making
business presentations fail to consider the fact that the
presentation must be tailored to appeal to the interests of
the audience, especially to the needs of the decision maker.
In our Business Presentation training classes, you will
learn presentation skills to customize your material so that
it sings the best song to the right people, and gives you
the best chance to succeed.
Big
on features and small in size, the latest portable
projectors are at every mobile warrior’s beck and call.
When
you need to be heard, you project your voice. Same with
images. When you need to be seen, you turn to a projector.
When you need to be seen no matter where you go, you turn to
a portable projector. Every projector in our chart comes in
under 7 pounds, with most under 3. You can shuffle one of
these from room to room, around the office or take it on the
red-eye to New York for a sales presentation.
There
are two main types of projectors: digital light processing (DLP)
and liquid-crystal display (LCD). Weight seems to be the
determining factor. Just about all sub-3-pound projectors
use DLP. Two of the heaviest projectors in our chart, the
Epson PowerLite 30c and Sony VPL-CS5, weigh about 6 pounds
and use LCD innards. LCDs tend to have richer colors than
DLPs. Your best bet is to visit a local retailer and ask to
see them in action side by side.
There
are trade-offs for super light weight. Features like zoom
factor and built-in audio are usually the first to go. Lack
of zoom means you’ll have to physically move the projector
around to achieve a good-sized image. In a related feature,
keystone correction like that featured on the Epson will
take care of distorted images that occur when the projector
is at an angle to the screen or wall.
Your
need for audio will depend on the type of presentations
you’ll be giving. The HP digital projector sb21, for
example, has no audio built in and weighs a feathery 2.2
pounds. The InFocus LP70 has a built-in speaker as well as
zoom and a wireless remote, but you’ll pay extra for these
premium conveniences in a 2.4-pound package. Check the
specifications carefully before you buy anything to see just
what you can live without or what you absolutely have to
have.
Brightness is another important factor. This will help
determine the size of the room and the light levels a
projector can handle. The spec to look for is ANSI lumens.
ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institute,
while lumens measures brightness. The more lumens, the
brighter the images; 800 to 1,100 lumens is a standard range
for portable projectors. At 800 lumens, for example, the HP
sb21 will do well in small conference rooms, though you may
want to dim the lights for the crispest picture. The two
brightest devices in our chart are the InFocus LP70 with
1,100 lumens and the Sharp PG-M25X with 1,900 lumens.
Consider one of these for large rooms or situations where
you can’t have the lights out.
The
future for projectors is bright. Wireless capabilities will
be the hottest innovation to hit the market in some time.
We’re not just talking about remote controls, either. 802.11
Wi-Fi, the same technology that is powering so many wireless
office networks, has arrived on the scene. This opens up
possibilities for using a Wi-Fi-equipped handheld for your
presentation instead of hauling around a laptop.
The
Sharp PG-M25X ($3,499 to $4,195 street, depending on
reseller) comes equipped with the popular 802.11b
technology. At 5.8 pounds, it’s on the heavier end of the
portable weight scale, but also packs a lot of features. You
probably won’t want to haul it around every airport in the
nation, but it could easily float around your office and
make the occasional foray out on the road. Consider your
presentation needs, and don’t be afraid to compare
projectors side by side before you buy. Choose wisely, and
you’ll have yourself a business-smart traveling companion.
By
Amanda C. Kooser
NYC, New York
"Learn to Project"
Business Presentation Quote
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Theodore Roosevelt
Suggested Reading:
The
Presentation Skills Workshop: Helping People Create and
Deliver Great Presentations (The Trainer's Workshop Series)
by Sherron Bienvenu
Effective Presentation Skills : A Practical Guide for Better
Speaking
by Steve Mandel
Basic
Presentation Skills
by Gary Kroehnert
Powerful Presentation Skills
by Elmon E. Yoder
Presentation Skills : The Essential Guide for Students
(Study Skills)
by Patsy McCarthy
Developing Presentation Skills: A Guide for Effective
Instruction
by Kathleen Schmalz, Arlene Moliterno
How to
Run Seminars and Workshops: Presentation Skills for
Consultants, Trainers, and Teachers
by Robert L. Jolles
Powerful Proofreading Skills: Tips, Techniques and Tactics
(Fifty-Minute Series)
by Debra A. Smith, Helen R. Sutton
Effective Presentation Skills
by Robert B. Dilts
Successful Presentation Skills (Better Management Skills
Series)
by Andrew Bradbury
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