Kortrijk, Belgium, 4 October 2016: Presentations play a key role in the success of global organizations. 95 percent of employees believe that there is a wider impact of presenting well, with almost six in ten (59 percent) saying presenting helped build a personal reputation, while 45 percent were able to win new business.

The research study carried out by global technology company Barco, surveyed office workers across the UK, US, France and Germany. It shows that four in ten professionals present in meetings several times a week and 85 percent of them use technology to deliver presentations, making it central to successful business outcomes. Just over half (51 percent) think that having the right technology is equally as important, or even more important, than having the right presenter, with 81 percent experiencing technology issues when presenting.

As well as the wider business benefits, when it comes to what makes a presentation successful, office workers believe that a presentation that has no technology issues (39 percent) is key to success. This is almost as important as having all aims of the presentation achieved (64 percent).

Around four in ten (41 percent) state that not having a backup plan for something going wrong (e.g. technology failure) is a key mistake to avoid when making a presentation. Among the most important presenting skills, subject matter expertise (73 percent), ability to explain complex topics in a simple way (63 percent) and successfully responding to audience feedback and questions (53 percent) rank highly. Whilst the ability to use technology effectively (34 percent) is still key to a successful presentation.

Laptops and plug-in cables were the most used technology for presenting (67 percent), followed by projectors (55 percent) and wireless screen share devices (35 percent). Nearly half (47 percent) agreed that their organisation’s technology sometimes fails, while 55 percent believe that their organisation’s technology could be better to enable them to deliver more successful presentations.

Surprisingly, despite being a crucial factor in business and employee success, only three in ten (30 percent) say that presentation training is offered to all employees.

Nick Fitzherbert, a presentation skills coach, commented, “The good news is that workplace technology is improving and employees both want and expect better equipment. I believe the next few years will see a dramatic decrease in the 81 percent of workers who experience technical problems while presenting. Wireless connection will undoubtedly play a big part in that, making for smoother, more impactful presentations, mainly because presenters can focus on their performance rather than technology-related issues.”

Lieven Bertier, Head of Product Management ClickShare said, “Delivering a good presentation is as much about the confidence and clarity of the presenter, as it is about the technology you use to present working effectively. Our research showed that for 58 percent of office workers, a presentation that is quick and easy to set up and is wireless (51 percent), with no technology issues is their idea of a successful presentation. Getting these elements right up front, increases your chances of success. Small equipment changes can make a big difference to the impact of presenting and business outcomes.”

About the study
1,000 office workers from across the UK, US, France and Germany (250 per country) who run, present at or attend meetings were interviewed in July to August 2016 by independent research agency Vanson Bourne. Interviews were split evenly across age ranges and gender. For more information, visit http://www.barco.com/en/present2win.