Death by Powerpoint

Simon Morton set up his company Eyeful Presentations after "sitting through some pretty dire presentations" while working for a technology company in Reading.

He said: "I was just about to start a family and I had been commuting to Reading and flying all over the world, so I thought 'now is a good time'.

"At first I worked from home, but now we have expanded into an office in Wantage. I can still walk to work and see my baby daughter as well. In fact starting a family and a business at the same time was not the best idea, but it has turned out fine."

He has obviously tapped a rich vein, since he has now taken on four designers and two other consultants to deal with the workload.

He said: "The thing about bad presentations is that usually it is not that the presenter is bad. It's just that the presentation is full of bullet points and too many words, and they often just read out the words.

"The key thing about successful presentations is making sure that ou get your message across clearly, and that you address the concerns of the audience. We talk to a business and try to understand their story. Then we develop a presentation that they can use to tell that story."

Eyeful is not a training company, he says. "Part of our service involves training, but there are umpteen companies who will provide training on where to stand, how to engage the audience, and so on. We think once people have got a good story to tell, and identified that story, most people are able to tell it.

"We help companies to identify their unique selling point and see how that can solve their clients' problems, rather than the standard bullet points which their competitors will be using. People drone on for hours about their business, turnover etc, but clients are focused on their own problems and whether they are being addressed."

Most of Eyeful's business comes from word of mouth. He said: "We have grown a lot quicker than I expected, considering that we haven't done any advertising. We did some work for a local logistics company and then for some of their customers partners, so it has spread quite nicely. People ask: 'Who did your presentation?' and the word spreads."

He added: "Eyeful's fresh and innovative approach helps equip businesses with groundbreaking presentations that capture the imagination and maximise opportunities."

One example of the company's innovative approach is its latest offering to clients a Podcast newsletter.

A Podcast is an audio file, such as radio programme, distributed over the Internet for listening on mobile devices like iPods or MP3 players, and personal computers.

Mr Morton said: "Podcasting is an exciting new way of communicating. We aim to keep our clients up to date with the latest thinking and the Podcast is key to us achieving that. We can't think of a more efficient way of keeping abreast of the latest presentations best practice advice and skills."

The first Eyeful Podcast gives the listener an insight into how to effectively prepare for a conference, as well as useful hints and tips on using images in PowerPoint presentations.

The Podcast is available from iTunes (search criteria: Eyeful, Presentation or PowerPoint) or as an MP3 download direct from Eyeful website, www.eyeful.com.

He said: "The business world is frenetic in this day and age. Business leaders are adapting and using any means possible to stay ahead of the game. Via the Podcast, Eyeful Presentations is providing the latest presentation skills and tricks of the trade to business people wherever they are.

He added: "Our clients tend to be technically savvy and they are not scared of things like iTunes. They are driving to meetings or on the train or bus, a Podcast allows them to take on information while travelling.

"Self-help tapes and CDs are bought by people on a regular basis, and Podcasts allow you to choose what you hear, when you want it."