mercoledì 17 febbraio 2016

10 Awesome Business Presentation Tools

Presentations are essential in any business. We use them to attract potential clients, to engage with new contacts, to educate colleagues and to train our employees.

In the past, business presentations were often, and let's be honest here, quite dull. Thankfully, new presentation software has been developed to breathe some much needed life (and dare I say fun?) into the presenting arena. So let's take a look and see what is on the market.

Prezi

Prezi enables the creation of visually engaging presentations via a virtual, interactive canvass. With Prezi, you are not bound by a linear path as you take your audience on a visual journey through your ideas. Prezi presentations can look stunning and have a wonderful free flowing style - a look you can achieve even if you would not necessarily class yourself as an artist! You can zoom out to see the bigger picture and zoom in to analyse the details.

In addition, you can create and edit Prezis together with up to 40 people. You can invite others to view your presentation no matter where they are and you can co-present your production with colleagues.

Your first step is to choose a template. With Prezi, presentation templates are much more than just a background image for your slides, they are visual metaphors for your ideas. You then add your content and select where and when you would like your presentation to zoom in on this information. The software is easy to use and supports a broad range of multi-media options.

You can work online via the Cloud, go mobile with Prezi's iPad or iPhone apps, or offline with Prezi Desktop.You can share your Prezi via social media networks, embed it into your website or email a link.

Animoto

Animoto allows you to transform your ideas into a video format. Video is an extremely effective way to engage an audience and ensure your presentation makes its intended impact. To start, choose a style from a great (and ever growing) menu of options. Some you can access for free and some require a paid upgrade. Once you have chosen your theme, you can then easily add content and upload images. In addition, you can also add short pieces of video to the video presentation itself. You can then choose your audio and set your video production to music - choosing from a large selection of available tracks. Once your video is produced, you can share it on social media networks, embed it onto your website or export or download your video.

GoAnimate

GoAnimate also uses video to create effective presentations. This time, however, the videos involve animation and it is just so much fun. Really, with software like this we have no excuse to produce boring presentations.You can select a video template or make one from scratch. I went for the template option. Your first step is to choose your template from a basic range of free options and a wider selection of paid styles. You can then choose your setting and characters. Then simply type in your dialogue and using text to speech technology your character will speak! You can also choose your character's voice style and language. Alternatively, you can enable the microphone and record your own voice. You can also select a facial expression for your character to fit in with your dialogue.

GoAnimate is a fun option to perhaps include as part of a wider presentation.

Google

Docs Bells and whistles are all very well but there is also a lot to be said for simplicity and accessibility. Many people have a google account these days and, as a result, lots of people have access to Google Docs. From the start you can either choose to create your presentation from scratch or select a style from a menu of template options. You can then easily add text and images and import slides and video. In addition, as your Google Docs presentation is hosted in the Cloud, you can collaborate on shared presentation documents. Once your presentation is complete, you can download it as a PowerPoint file, share it via a link or embed it onto a website.

Zoho Show

Zoho is another cloud-based option for presentations. This software is simple and easy to use yet also has some great features for incorporating cool animation, technical drawings, custom flowcharts and diagrams.

You start by choosing your presentation style from an extensive gallery of slide designs. You can then create your presentation slides using text or diagrams. You can also enhance your presentation with pictures and video. Zoho enables you to edit and customise your images to increase your presentation's visual appeal.

Meanwhile, this software allows you to incorporate animations and interesting transitions. Zoho Show also allows real time collaboration and editing and your presentations can be shared by embedding them into web pages or you can email your audience a link.

Powerpoint

Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software has a brand new look for 2013. It looks cleaner and has been optimised for tablet and phone use enabling users to swipe or tap their way through their presentations. In addition, instead of just starting with a blank presentation, the new version of PowerPoint gives users new several options. They can start using a template or a theme, adapt a recent or not so recent presentation or begin from scratch.

It is now easier to use PowerPoint online presentations. A link can be sent to your audience or you can start a full-on Lync meeting that displays the deck with audio and IM. Your audience can join you from anywhere on any device using Lync or the Office Presentation Service. The new version of PowerPoint supports more multi-media formats and has a new Play In Background feature that enables music to be played while people view your slideshow.

The software also allows cloud-based saving and sharing and you can now work on the same presentation at the same time as a colleague and be able to see their changes.

Slidesnack

Slidesnack is a presentation sharing tool allowing you to upload and share presentations online. Using this software you upload your presentation documents as a PDFs. You then have several templates to choose from and a selection of slide transitions. You can also record your comments or audio notes and make a slidecast (a combination of a visual presentation and a voice recording). You can download your slidecast as a video and then upload that video to any video sharing service such as YouTube or Vimeo. Your presentations can also be embedded on a website or into a blog post.

Sliderocket

Sliderocket is where presentations get serious. That is not to say that this presentation option is boring but rather that it goes a step beyond the presentation itself and introduces some powerful collaboration and tracking tools. Indeed, Sliderocket describes itself as a presentation platform. You can import an existing presentation into Siderocket or start one from scratch. You have a wide selection of presentation tools and options allowing you to embed images, charts, videos, transitions and special effects.

Once you have found something you like, for example a particular image or transition, you can save it in a library for future use. Once your presentation is complete, you can track who has viewed it and find out which slides your audience really liked. You can even start a conversation with your audience from right inside your presentation.

Sliderocket offers a powerful collaboration capability and many sharing options such as the ability to embed your presentation or access it via a link. You can also present on the move as SlideRocket is optimised for iPad and is designed for use with your phone's web browser.

Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a free iPad app that allows you to create clean slideshows with a one touch presentation style. Your presentation should always aim to be concise and Haiku Deck makes you aware of this by limiting your text and focusing each slide on one idea. However, you are not limited when it comes to the images that you can use to tell your story. Indeed, this app has millions of high quality photos. In addition, it offers many stylish fonts, layouts and image filters.You can share your Haiku Deck presentation on social media networks and via email, you can embed them onto your website and you can view them on any web-enabled device.

Slidedog

Slidedog aims to take the stress out of presenting your presentation. Once you download this free piece of software, you can then drag your presentation files into a playlist. You can also alter the order of your presentation here.Your presentation files may comprise a selection of slides, a Prezi or a video. Slidedog is all about how you can show these files effortlessly when it comes to the presentation itself.

With these 10 awesome tools there need never be another boring presentation again!

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