As 2004 approaches, brand new presentation tools are making their way into the marketplace. From wireless projectors to lightweight electronic whiteboards, these wares are being touted as the future of presentation technology. But while some devices shrink in size as others expand in functionality, tomorrow’s tools do share a common goal: to help sales professionals pitch their products and services in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Just ask Rod Wilske. A national sales manager for BenQ America Corp., Wilske says that up-and-coming presentation tools are all about highlighting a sales professional’s strengths rather than a device’s bells and whistles: “A mediocre presenter is always looking for a crutch, but a really good presenter is looking for a tool. And a really good tool is one that doesn’t get in the way of the sales message.”

One such tool is iMatte’s iSkia. iSkia is a hardware device that allows an image to be projected on the screen but not on the presenter or in the presenter’s eyes. Using ‘black box’ technology, the iMatte system creates a real-time mask to keep a projected image from appearing on the host’s body. Furthermore, a user can move a screen’s cursor simply by moving a hand, making it easy to underline, drag or highlight presentation elements. iSkia requires no special software on the presenter’s computer, works with any projector, and is interactive.

By eliminating dangerously blinding light and distracting projected graphics, the presenter is better able to interact with the audience. “What iSkia does goes back to helping salespeople physically present themselves and their products better,” says Wilske, who witnessed this revolutionary technology firsthand when it was unveiled at INFOCOMM 2003 in Orlando, FL.

Protecting your rep

Placing a sales professional at the forefront of a presentation – both literally and figuratively – is only part of the future of presentation technology. These days, salespeople can’t afford to appear before an audience with a thick black marker and a dog-eared flipchart. Using the latest-and-greatest presentation tools is crucial to establishing credibility with one’s audience.

No one knows this better than Peter Conroy. Conroy is the vice-president of sales at CollectiveBid Systems Inc., a Toronto-based firm whose electronic bond-trading systems are revolutionizing the way financial instruments are bought and sold. Pitching such pioneering technology, however, means Conroy can’t afford to make the slightest slip-up when handling presentation technology.

“If you’re proposing to roll-out [an electronic bond trading system] across a company, and you don’t look like you know what you’re doing during your presentation, you’re not going to be able to sell your product. The presentation has got to be seamless,” warns Conroy.

Joseph Sommerville agrees. As president of Peak Communication Performance, Sommerville has spoken to more than 1,500 audiences on designing a powerful presentation. He believes that “if you’re not using cutting-edge presentation technology, in some cases you’re seen as out of the loop.”

Easy-to-use devices

Fortunately, more and more manufacturers are recognizing the connection between presentation technology and a sales professional’s credibility. It’s for this reason that many vendors are focusing their efforts on creating devices that are as user-friendly as they are hi-tech.

Take, for example, the Pocketec Pockey drive. Ideal for road warriors, the Pockey DataStor 2.0 holds 60GB of data and can transfer large amounts of data at rates up to 480 Mbps. Yet despite its power, this ultraportable device is easy to use. Users don’t require any additional power source such as batteries or an AC power adaptor, because all necessary power is drawn through the USB cable. Weighing less than 6 ounces, the Pockey DataStor 2.0 is ideal for storing presentations, graphics and backup files.

Shrinking devices down to pocketsize proportions, however, does not always equal improved user-friendliness. While the future of presentation technology rests on reductions in size, many salespeople warn that manufacturers need to keep human limitations in mind.

Kathy Fediw is one such sales professional. President of Johnson Fediw Associates, she says that enhanced portability can sometimes mean sacrificing both convenience and productivity.

“With my PDA I cannot jot down notes as fast as I can hand write them. A lot of times, I will take notes by hand and then transcribe whatever parts of those notes I need into my PDA,” laments Fediw.

The result is a device that forces Fediw to spend twice the amount of time inputting data as she would using yesteryear’s antiquated pen-and-paper combination.

The future looks bright

Then there are those devices that will be rendered obsolete by tomorrow’s high-speed, multifunctional, all-in-one über devices. Fediw envisions a future full of projectors with built-in computer processors, CD-ROM drives and hi-speed Internet connections.

Sommerville, on the other hand, is not so fast to enter projectors into the annals of presentation technology history. “I might put the overhead projector on the endangered list, but I’m not ready to confine it to extinction yet,” he chuckles.

In fact, enormous advances are being made in the design and functionality of projectors. Christie Digital Systems’ DS30 is the world’s first single-chip SXGA projector. Weighing just 6.6 lbs, the DS30 features 3000 ANSI lumens and a 1,000-to-1 contrast ratio for detailed images in even the most challenging high-ambient-light environments. The device is robust enough to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and operate at a whisper-quiet 28 decibels.

InFocus’s LiteShow heralds the introduction of Wi-Fi to projectors. LiteShow is the world’s first zero-configuration wireless projection system, designed to enable digital projectors to operate through wireless networking. Typically, a digital projector requires salespeople to attach the projector to a computer, requiring set-up and teardown time. LiteShow, on the other hand, allows users to quickly project their own presentations directly from their notebooks through a shared projector. Plus, the LiteShow system features refresh rates of less than one second – about five times faster than alternative solutions.

Don’t be a guinea pig

Boasting state-of-the-art features and bolstered by hype, it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and abandon tried-and-tested tools for a device-du-jour. But experts warn that it’s not always wise to be the first to sample the future of presentation technology. While many products are new and improved based on customer feedback, it’s important for manufacturers to continually be first to market with fresh devices. And that means occasionally releasing products with technical glitches or shortcomings that are destined to disappoint users.

Warns Ellen Kaye, consultant and author of Maximize Your Presentation Skills: How to Speak, Look and Act on Your Way to the Top (Prima Publishing, 2002), “It takes a much longer time to put out a product, get feedback from consumers, and create a new product then it does to just race against your competition.”

What’s more, even the most sophisticated presentation tool can fail to perform. You might lay claim to the world’s most impressive wireless projector, but a cracked light bulb can kybosh your stellar presentation in mere seconds.

It’s a reality that sales professional need to accept, according to Jeff Slutsky. President of Street Fighter Marketing Inc., he says presentation technology – no matter how revolutionary – can never replace a solid contingency plan. “If a sales professional is totally reliant on the technology, that’s dangerous,” warns Slutsky. “Technology should help support the sales effort, but should something go wrong, you need to be able to continue with that presentation in a non-hi-tech format as a backup, because you may not get another chance to get in front of that group.”

It’s for this reason that Slutsky advises salespeople to take the proper precautionary measures before presenting. Practicing the entire presentation, creating a backup plan, bringing in extra batteries and power cords – these are all steps that can be taken to lessen one’s reliance on hi-tech devices.

Sommerville of Peak Communication Performance agrees. “Salespeople have to be careful not to let technology steal the show,” he warns. “One of the dangers is that people get trained in how to use the technology, but they’re not getting trained in how to present strategically.”

After all, regardless of technical sophistication and first-to-market cachet, presentation technology is all about making you – the sales professional – look your best. Tools that overshadow rather than enhance your performance aren’t likely to make it to 2005.