Presentations are the mainstay of sales and marketing. I have created and delivered literally hundreds of presentations, ranging from multimedia extravaganzas to simple "text mostly" slide sets. I have created presentations for my use, and master presentations that have been distributed to thousands of people.
A few of the highlights are here, including the actual presentations.
High Performance Technical Computing Presentation Tools CD
Frustrated with continually modifying presentations each time they were given, I set a goal of creating a single presentation that could be given any time, any place, with no changes.
The result pushes the limits of PowerPoint. It is a massively hyperlinked composite presentation, much like a Web site -- but entirely developed in PowerPoint. Like a Web site, it is navigated by clicking links (usually images). This gives the flexibility to move between subjects, drill down to however much (or little!) detail is needed, and to "bounce around" following customer questions and interest.
Not stopping there, I put the presentation on a self-running, self contained CD. Walk up to any PC running Windows, pop in the CD, and start talking and clicking! All necessary software is contained on the autorun-enabled CD; nothing has to be installed on the host PC. Of course, the contents of the CD could be copied onto a PC or laptop and used directly.
I don't know why this style of presentation isn't more popular. It requires a slightly different mind set and somewhat greater development effort than a simple linear presentation, but I have found it to be an exceptionally effective presentation tool -- if, of course, you know your material.
HPTC Overview
This presentation introduced High Performance Technical Computing and provided a broad overview. It provided real world definitions of several key concepts and addressed a range of system implementation issues.
HPTC Training
NAFC, the North American Field Conference, was Compaq's major sales training event. Several hundred sales and support people were brought together for a week of training and team building. This presentation was used to introduce sales people to HPTC. The goal was to get them to recognize the opportunity, enough knowledge to approach customers, and to know how and when to call in expert help from corporate!
HPTC: It's Not Just for Scientists
This presentation focused on the core elements of high performance computing, explained them, and showed how they were important to a broad range of applications, including non-technical applications. It was delivered to a variety of internal and external audiences.
Higher Education Conference
This presentation was delivered to a group of educators at the CAUSE conference. It was designed to provide an introduction to HPTC and Compaq products to university administrators and faculty who might not be familiar with the subject. The Higher Ed market is a large user of HPTC.
Introduction to Computer Graphics
One of my most popular and enduring presentations, this introduction to computer graphics provided an understanding of the fundamental concepts of computer graphics, the different types of graphics and their applications, and the different products available.
Typically running 90 minutes, this presentation (and slight variations) were given at conferences, training events, to internal audiences and to customers. Combining solid information, extensive graphics (if you will pardon the pun!), video clips, physical props and a humorous delivery, this presentation was frequently requested.
Killer Graphics
Another version of the introduction to graphics presentation, this one was developed for the Windows NT Symposium.
Graphics Training
One of my personal favorites, this set of presentations was used to deliver two days of intensive technical training as part of a three day seminar. The first day was a general overview given to both sales and technical people. The second and third days were dedicated to hardcore technical training. Covering topics ranging from the physics of light to shading models, programming interfaces, and the implementation of the graphics pipeline on modern computer system, this session was delivered to engineers in the US, Europe and the Far East.
This "Graphics 201" was the follow on to "Graphics 101." After delivering the 101 course, the feedback was "this is great! Please schedule even more advanced training!"