One of the primary activities Realtors get paid to perform is present. And one of the challenges of any piece of technology is actually going out and using it in the real world. As a lover of presentations AND my iPad, let's see if we can't put this together somehow and make iPad presentations simple and practical.While there would be a plethora of tips and tricks, whats and hows, I'd like to make it easy. Whether you are creating your first presentation or moving from your laptop (or flipchart) with your "old" one, these seven tips should help get you on the right track.
1. Understand that seating is very limited. What I mean by that is that as wonderful as your iPad is, it can only be seen by a small number of potential sellers or buyers (unless you pack a bunch of them into the community center and use a projector). The smaller screen makes it imperative that your slides are VISUAL (yes, caps mean I am yelling at you).
Good presentation slides should be visual anyway, especially when your device would make it nearly impossible to view a slide full of words. The other side of this is that because most people are oriented towards being visual learners, you have killed two birds with one stone by going visual. As Dr. John Medina said in his book Brain Rules, "Vision trumps all senses."
2. Know Your Stuff. By utilizing a visual approach to slide creation and delivery, we minimize the number of words on a slide. This makes it impossible to cheat (unless you use presenter notes and that is another story). The bottom line, however, is that you absolutely must know your subject matter; inside-out, upside-down, right-left, and every other way possible. You won't be able to rely on reading slides. Not only is your knowledge of your "stuff" essential, but it is also equally important that your are aware of all of your stuff. You must know everything you have to offer a potential seller in terms of marketing, pricing, transaction and lead management, communication, systems and resources.
3. Begin with familiarity. My iPad is a beautiful piece of technology. I prefer, however, to do most of my presentation creation on my desktop computer. It's easier for me, almost second nature, and I have all of the options available in the presentation program/application I use. I need to be able to create and/or edit on the run as well, but when given the choice, I'd rather get my hands dirty on the big machine to start.
4. Choose your weapon carefully. There are a multitude of programs and applications for presentations. While I like many of them, I limit myself to just a few. Keynote and your iPad are both Apple products and as a result, they work seamlessly together. If you are a Keynote lover, you're all set and can stop right here.
If, however, you are a PowerPoint fan, you will be ever so slightly challenged by the iPad's inability to play well with the actual PPT program (or the other way around if you wish to look at it that way). My favorite app for creating or downloading my PowerPoints is Quick Office Pro. There are other applications that may be equally great (people like Prezi, Slide Shark and others), but for me, I like QOP. For quick, simple presentations on the go, I also love Haiku Deck.
5. Create a great slide. A great slide should do five things. It should 1) be simple to understand, 2) make a point (or visually anchor the point you're making), 3) capture attention, 4) invite interaction and 5) cue you on what you are presenting. Remember, YOU are what you are really presenting. Your slides should visually reinforce the points you make.
6. Go remote. Often in your presentation, it will be easier, and more effective, if you are able to place your iPad in front of your potential sellers while you operate your slides remotely. There are a great many possibilities that will make this happen. Most require a common WiFi connection or Bluetooth. Two of the more popular device combinations for your mobile presentation would be to run the presentation from your laptop to your iPad or from your phone to your iPad. Some great applications can help. I like Splashtop Streamer, Presentation Remote, Apple Airplay, and 2Screens Presentation Expert.
7. Deliver the goods. Last but not least, no matter how fancy or techie your presentation may be, without you being able to deliver it to your consumer in a knowledgeable, focused, customized way, it's all for naught. Your ability to discover their wants, needs and expectations and deliver a presentation based on those, will be the biggest key to your success.
Hopefully, these tips will help you get started on taking your presentation mobile. Keep in mind that sellers aren't the only ones who would benefit from a great presentation. Your buyers will too.
Some other resources for your presentation can be found at the following links:
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