How many of us have suffered through a PowerPoint sales presentation? You bring in a laptop, boot it up, hook it up to a projector and load the application. Maybe 5 minutes later you dim the lights and everyone sits around a table checking their email with their smart phones while you present.
Boring. And not very effective.
If people aren't engaged with you, chances are they aren't that interested in having a meaningful conversation.
Now consider the iPad experience. You go into the meeting with the lights on, sit next to someone and within 5 seconds you start doing show & tell & discuss. Kind of hard to check email when you are engaged in a conversation.
1) A good video. It can be anything (my favorite is an episode of BBC Top Gear). It's better than bringing in a puppy to break the ice.
2) Keynote. Much slicker than PowerPoint and with the smaller screen you cannot clutter your slides with boring details.
3) Safari. Before the meeting have a window set up for everything you want to show them. Better yet create a bookmark and drag it you your home screen.
4) Dropbox. Keep all relevant documents and spreadsheets in a folder on your main computer and automatically sync it to the iPad. That way if any question comes up, you have all the answers right there. And it will render pdf, xls, doc automatically.
5) WebEx. Maybe someone back at the home office needs to show something from their desktop. No problem.
6) Skype. Need to talk to the product manager? Turns the iPad into a speakerphone.
7) PhotoPad. The best meetings are the interactive meetings. So create a checklist of features or actions or whatever and save it as a jpg. Load it into PhotoPad and use the brush to check off the things relevant to your conversation. Save it and email right their on the spot.
8) Draw. Maybe you need to sketch something. When done, email it.
9) Notes. Put in your action items. When done, email it.
The iPad is a very personal and very fast tool. And very engaging with a customer. And isn't that what this is all about? And if you do need to use a projector, Keynote and videos will automatically output with an optional cable to a projector. Just plug it in and you're done.
Total cost for applications? $10 for Keynote. The rest are free.
Bonus tip: Forward your email accounts to gmail. Using iPad mail you can now pull down and have access to all relevant emails to your meeting.
Update: Atomic web browser will output to VGA.
Sorry, but no. Nothing is better than a puppy.
Posted by: Jill | 01 July 2010 at 05:24 PM
Thanks for the interesting article.
A useful tool for sales presentations on the iPad could be Picture Link, a newly released iPad application. With Picture Link you can hold interactive and clickable PowerPoint presentations on your iPad.
2-minute demo video http://www.zuhanden.de/apps/picturelink-app/
App Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picture-link/id385702117?mt=8
Please let me know your feedback.
Posted by: Hans Koenig | 29 August 2010 at 05:17 AM
Hans,
This is an interesting application. If I create a picture with several transparent button links, can I duplicate that picture with the links, and then change the underlying picture?
I'm thinking you could build navigation into your pictures and use this as a really slick storyboard to demonstrate a new application, or a non-linear presentation.
Posted by: brucefryer | 29 August 2010 at 08:15 AM
Hi Bruce,
we have not implemented this yet. But it is an extremely compelling idea. Let me note that down for the next releases, as we are currently working on VGA output and the distribution of Picture Links to other users. Thanks for the feedback. Hans
Posted by: Hans Koenig | 02 September 2010 at 03:33 AM
Bruce,
I think our product, StoryDesk, answers this brief.
http://www.storydesk.com/storydesk-demo/
Jordan
Posted by: Stolper | 13 December 2010 at 07:45 AM
Great article!
I would also recommend MightyMeeting. It is a service that lets you store presentations in the cloud and access them from the iPad. You can connect the iPad to a projector and present to a room full of people. You can also do a remote meeting directly form the iPad. It's a great tool for a sales pro.
Check it out here: http://www.mightymeeting.com
Posted by: Dmitri Tcherevik | 05 January 2011 at 06:18 PM
Dmitri,
Glad you started this company. Keep it simple and you'll give webex a run for their money.
...Bruce...
Posted by: brucefryer | 05 January 2011 at 10:34 PM
Power Point presentation going bad in front of the people you want to impress can turn out to be the most embarrassing moment and I just experienced that. Getting an iPad just didn't come into my mind, if it can make things easier during presentations that's exactly what I want. Thanks a ton for the help and information.
Posted by: Carlton Berlacher | 15 January 2011 at 11:43 AM
Bruce,
As one of many design/marketing entities sizing up the iPad as a true sales tool, I was pleased to read your blog post
Several of the apps your readers noted here we've been looking at with interest, while we blaze our own trails on aiding clients with getting the tools they already like to use onto this most intimate sales cultivation platform.
We never cease to raise eyebrows when we pull out our own iPads for a quick customer demo - the questions quickly go from what we do, to how'd we get our demo tools onto the pad itself!
I think we are just starting to see signs of where this new sales tool will take us - look forward to your continued exploration here on your blog. Thanks very much!
Dane D. Miller
Posted by: Dane D. Miller | 06 May 2011 at 06:43 AM
Great article!
With the world getting used to more interactive presentations it is important to be able to wow your customers. The iPad has brought so much versatility that can create a great experience for your clients. There is an app called iQpakk by MentorMate that is worth checking out at http://iqpakk.com.
This iPad sales tool allows a user to display videos, slides, images, and other interactive materials which builds a truly compelling presentation.
Posted by: Mike Williams | 02 August 2011 at 01:33 PM