We need presentations at every stage in our lives, be it education, business, finance, and so on. The purpose is to disseminate information from the presenter to the audience.
And the work that ensues is planning, preparation, organizing, proofreading, improvising, etc., till it doesn’t culminate into a successful speech. Phew!
What the audience sees in the end is – consolidated information for 20 minutes or so.
But those 20 minutes could have 20 hours of work backing them.
You have 2 ways to prepare for a presentation. Take help from professional companies or DIY.
Well, both the coins have 2 sides. Your choice will depend on a lot of factors like requirements, values, and the current status of the business.
Seems confusing?
Fret not! We are here to walk you through the pros and cons of DIY presentations and going for professional presentation design companies.
It will help you pick right in each scenario, keeping your interests at the forefront.
Read on to know more.
Why is a Good Presentation Design Important?
Presentations are part of your visual identity. You can use them to create a strong brand identity and set a base for successful communication with prospective clients and customers.
- An immaculate presentation design will create a professional and positive first impression on your clients and customers.
- It will help you convey the essence of your brand, product, etc., in the best way possible.
- It will engage your audience effortlessly.
- It will keep you focused, letting you disseminate information in an organized format.
- A good presentation design will improve engagement, thereby enhancing lead generation and consequently benefitting the bottom line of any business.
DIY or a Professional Presentation Design Company – What to go for?
We will thoroughly go through the advantages and disadvantages of both ways. And figure out which method is best tailored to suit your requirements. Let’s find out!
DIY Presentation Design
Do-It-Yourself presentation, as the name suggests, is the process of creating presentations without help from a professional presentation designer. Individuals can use available resources, free templates, and online tools to create their slide deck.
Let’s go through the advantages and disadvantages of this method.
Pros:
a). It is Cost-Effective
One of the most obvious benefits is it will be cost-effective since you are not hiring anyone to make your presentation. There are a lot of free templates available for anyone who wants to create their own work. You also explore free tools available to help with graphics and other design work.
It is a good option for people who are just starting new and want to keep a curb on their expenses.
b). Convenience and Accessibility
You don’t have to go through the hassle of explaining your requirements to anyone. Whenever you get time, you can open your laptop and start work from the comfort of your home or office.
You don’t need to book an appointment or wait for any revert from the design company.
c). Autonomy and Control
The design process has you as the sole owner. You have complete autonomy with how you want to move forward and when.
You can make quick alterations as you deem fit, without anyone’s approval or going through the hassle of establishing communication for every change (basically, no back and forth or to and fro).
d). Time-Effective and Quick Results
Doing it yourself can result in time efficiency and quick results. You need to present tomorrow in front of the board. Of course, there is no time to hire an agency.
It might take you the entire night, but you will have to do it yourself, and that’s why DIY is really advantageous in certain situations.
Cons:
a). Limited Resources
Let’s admit that the resources a professional presentation design company will have at their behest and what you have access to are entirely different.
It is their primary work, so they invest in the best tools available to ace different aspects of presentation design.
On the other hand, you can take the help of the limited templates and other available tools to create the designs, which might not be as resourceful and unique as what an agency can deliver.
b). Restricted Expertise Resulting in Not-So-Great Quality
Presentation is not just about focusing on the aesthetics or usability alone. The two factors go side by side, along with other design principles. Firstly, you need to take care of typography, color palette, alignment, layout, high-quality, relevant visual content, slide size, hierarchy, etc., to make a perfect presentation. And secondly, you need to be thorough with your research, data, and statistics.
All this requires expertise and experience to be thorough with all the elements that a presentation design company can deliver.
c). Time Constraint
DIY presentations can put a lot of pressure on you.
If it’s a regular board meeting, you might go ahead with an overnight presentation preparation. But what if you have to present to important investors as part of your pitch deck? You can’t go ahead with something that isn’t perfect on all parameters.
The important presentations might put a lot of load on you, resulting in a lot of invested time, which you can avoid by hiring an experienced agency. They have done it numerous times before and know what you require.
d). You vs. A Professional Team
The presentation design agency consists of many people. A DIY method gives you autonomy and control, but depending on the project, it can be detrimental, too. You will be alone with your expertise and experience who will be working on the project.
However, an agency will have many people together with varying skill sets to fill in their respective parts wherever needed.
Professional Presentation Design Agency
Professional presentation design agencies have huge resources at their disposal to complete the required work. However, this method also comes with its set of advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s take a dive into what it could mean.
Pros:
a). Professionalism, Creativity, and Consistency
When you hire an agency, they are built on these parameters. They have been in the business long enough to understand how to take care of consistent branding and messaging.
The process would be streamlined with consistent quality as the experts are backed by years of experience. You can be sure of professional and creative designs ready to woo your audience.
b). Expertise and Experience
You need to have a strong presentation to back you as a speaker. A professional agency consists of experts with long-standing experience and diverse skill sets.
They know the elements of design and can very well manipulate the principles of storytelling, communication, design, etc., to build a presentation that will do half of the work for you (the other half is you as an orator and presenter).
c). Flexibility
Say hello to flexibility and goodbye to the limited stack of free templates. Let’s admit there is only so much they can do for you. That is, you can’t go with a one-shoe-fits-all approach by using the same templates for different types of presentations.
A professional agency has an extensive collection of high-quality templates, and they can custom design templates specifically tailor-made for your business and needs (onboarding presentation, roadmaps, business operations model presentation, etc.).
d). Time Efficiency and Scalability
Hiring an agency can offer scalability to your work needs. That is, agencies can deliver multiple presentations within a limited time, owing to the resources and expertise they have at their command.
You can also save time focusing on other important aspects of your business rather than creating presentations from the start for every requirement.
e). They Can Help You Stand Out
They are up to date with the current trends and well-versed in incorporating brand guidelines to create a truly impactful presentation, taking care of all the aspects.
You can count on a presentation that conveys your message thoroughly and influences the target audience in the right way. It will also mean increased visibility and brand identity, thereby supporting your business interests.
f). It Will Save You Money
Yes, that depends on the situation. If you have a high-stakes presentation, which you can’t afford to be substandard in any case, a professional agency (in that case) can help you save time, effort, and cost.
You will have to spend a lot of hours brainstorming and validating ideas, streamlining information, designing, and so on to hit the correct chords with the audience. And even if you have experience, you can’t guarantee that you will be able to tick all the boxes.
So, an agency can take that workload for you, saving you precious time and thereby saving money. Also, you get time to spend time on other important tasks with higher ROI.
Cons:
a). Budget Could be an Issue
The cost part is totally situation-based. For projects that are simple and don’t require a lot of expertise, an agency can prove to be expensive over DIY presentations.
b). Hassle of Communication Making it Time-Consuming
When you hire an agency, you have to take the time to explain what you are expecting, in case it’s something specific and typical. You will also have to communicate revisions and corrections, which could become a little time-consuming.
c). Lack of Personalization and Control
You know the most about your company. The agency people are experts and professionals, but it’s their everyday work. You might feel you have less say in the designing process and, for that matter, lack of personal elements too.
There are a lot of times when you have an entire roadmap ready in your mind with how you want the end product to look, which can’t be possible when you outsource your work.
Things to Look for When Hiring a Professional Presentation Design Agency
- Have a look at the portfolio. It will give you an idea about their style and whether it will fit your requirements.
- You would want to go for an experienced agency that is well-versed in all the required elements of a presentation.
- An agency should have a clear chain of communication and be open to a two-way exchange of ideas and feedback.
- They meet deadlines (time constraints) and can give you a clear breakdown in terms of their pricing and services.
Factors to Keep in Mind When Choosing Between DIY and Professional Presentation Company
Now, this is the most important part. The factors will help make the choice easy for you and define the option you should go for in every individual situation.
1. Budget Constraints
While DIY might seem cost-friendly, it will not guarantee the professional, high-quality product an agency can deliver. So, depending on the requirements and the budget, you can decide which option seems best for that particular situation.
2. Required Level of Expertise
If you are a pro yourself, or maybe your presentation requires specific technical knowledge, which only you have, being the expert, a DIY presentation seems like the only way to go.
Similarly, if you have limited expertise or no prior experience (like maybe a pitch deck), it is wise to outsource.
3. Time at Hand
Do you require your project to be completed the very next day, or do you have time? Do you have time to go through modifications and corrections and establish the needed communication for that? Time constraints can help you decide the most suitable option for you.
4. Importance of Presentations for Your Business
If the presentation is super important for the success of your business, you could think of outsourcing. On the other hand, if it’s a team presentation that happens frequently (updating the team about new product developments), a DIY presentation might be a better option.
To Sum It Up
Presentations are crucial for a business as a lot of information is conveyed through this mode of communication. You never want to deliver a substandard presentation as it might put a question mark on your proficiency as a presenter and your brand’s professionalism.
There will be times when a DIY presentation is the best choice and an agency for others.
The article will help you solve the dilemma.
