Employers could do much more to help businesspeople to give effective presentations, according to a new survey.
The study, carried out by research agency Vanson Bourne on behalf of Barco, surveyed 1,000 office workers across the UK, US, France and Germany. Nearly half (47%) agreed that their organisation’s technology sometimes fails, while 55% believe that the technology could be better, to enable them to deliver more successful presentations.
The research discovered that four in ten professionals present in meetings several times a week, and 85% use technology to deliver presentations; 81% said they have experienced technology issues when presenting. Just over half (51%) think that having the right technology is as important as, or more important than, having the right presenter.
It was also found that presentations are a crucial factor in business and employee success. Ninety-five percent of employees believe that presenting well has a wider impact, with 59% saying presenting helped build a personal reputation, while 45% were able to win new business. Despite this, only 30% say that presentation training is offered to all employees.
When it comes to what makes a presentation successful, 39% of office workers believe having no technology issues in a presentation is key to success. This is almost as important as having all aims of the presentation achieved (64%).
Laptops and plug-in cables were the most used technology for presenting (67%), followed by projectors (55%) and wireless screen share devices (35%).
Nick Fitzherbert, a presentation skills coach, commented, “The good news is that workplace technology is improving and employees both want and expect better equipment. I believe the next few years will see a dramatic decrease in the 81% of workers who experience technical problems while presenting. Wireless connection will undoubtedly play a big part in that, making for smoother, more impactful presentations, mainly because presenters can focus on their performance rather than technology-related issues.”
Lieven Bertier, head of product management ClickShare said, “Delivering a good presentation is as much about the confidence and clarity of the presenter, as it is about the technology you use to present working effectively. Our research showed that for 58% of office workers, a presentation that is quick and easy to set up and is wireless (51%), with no technology issues is their idea of a successful presentation. Getting these elements right up front, increases your chances of success. Small equipment changes can make a big difference to the impact of presenting and business outcomes.”
