Should PR firms ditch the PowerPoint pitch?

Nobody likes a PowerPoint presentation. The ubiquitous presentation software has the ability to suck the life out of any pitch and make otherwise eloquent speakers look like fools as they read words from a screen.

Surely our clients, prospects and media partners deserve more than “Death by PowerPoint”?

So isn’t it time we ditch the PowerPoint presentation at PR pitches and just focus on the one thing that makes the PR industry so special: Smart, engaging and intelligent people who have the confidence to speak on a given topic without glib bullet points and cliché ridden clipart?

Alison Clark, business consultant and mentor, certainly thinks so.

In a recent article in PR Week, Clark described PowerPoint presentations as “an insult”.

Clark continued: “People fiddle too much with PowerPoint. They spend too long adding bits because they can, which gets in the way of spending valuable time on presenting a compelling case to the prospect.”

“Clients need to have confidence in an agency’s ability to solve their problems. They want to trust your insights and strategic solutions. The bits on your PowerPoint don’t help that.”

Instead of spending hours on that “perfect” set of slides, Clark suggests PR pros start focusing on their own advice and understanding of communication best practices.

She said: “So, next time you pitch: make a plan, draft a timetable, observe the countdown with rigour and make it happen.

“Stop fiddling with that PowerPoint deck and start planning a compelling case. You might just see some positive results.”

Do you have the confidence to stand up in front of an audience and pitch without the emotional crutch that is PowerPoint or would the lack of slides leave your pitch lacking in visual stimulation?

Do your clients believe they need something more than just great thought leadership?

Consider this: If a client asks for your slides after a presentation is it because they want to share them with someone else (that never happens) or because they failed to grasp your train of thought the first time around.