Using Continuous Picture List SmartArt in PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint presentations should have a balanced mix of text and graphics for the obvious reason that it should be interesting. However, adding a dash of graphic or image and a slice of video will not ensure that your business presentation will look appealing. The reason for this is that not all  SmartArt graphic, images and videos are appropriate and will complement the business presentation. In fact, too much of unnecessary graphics will not aid the PowerPoint Presentation at all. Worst is, it may even cause distraction that will veer you away from the real topic. It is for this reason why there are several SmartArt to choose from like the Continuous Picture List.

1 Continuous Picture List SmartArt

Customizing Continuous Picture List To Make Your Business Presentation More Appealing

Going by the definition of Continuous Picture List SmartArt wherein the graphics is used to show information that are interconnected while you can add images to visually aid the text or information that you will include. You can also change the color of each block to make your presentation more interesting and appealing.  You can easily do this by right clicking your mouse, selecting a format shape, and  ‘solid fill’, followed by the selection of the color that you want. It’s that simple.

2 Continuous Picture List SmartArt

To add text or information, click on the square or border of the SmartArt, input the text and simply follow the graphics as shown above. Once you are done customizing the look of the SmartArt graphics, you can then add information or text of your presentation. Take for the example the ‘Ways on how to find the right market niche for your small business’, let us assume that we identified three interconnected ways like Being Clear, Focus and Business Message.

Use Continuous Picture List To Show Interconnected Information

In the graphics as shown below, the ways on how to find the right market niche are all inter related that the objective or expected outcome of the first block should serve the purpose or objective the second block, the third and so on. Yet, it doesn’t necessarily follows that Block 1 should be followed by Block 2 since Block 1 could directly complement Block 3. In short, it is not a process wherein it should be religiously followed in order.

3 Continuous Picture List SmartArt

More so, the example given above shows that clarity of plans in Block 1 will yield the same expected result in Block 3 wherein:

Let’s be clear focuses on the things/aspects that you, as the entrepreneur, should be clear about like:

  • The services or products that you are offering
  • The reasons or advantages why customers will buy from you instead of the other suppliers

Focus is about the consistency of your efforts to push through with the business plans or projects. Hence, if you are not clear on how the product will help you and how it will carve a niche in the business industry, then your other efforts will be useless. To help you visualize, a marketing person selling a unique clothing design will not be able to penetrate the market if he or she will implement the marketing plans once a week or sometimes once a month until there was none at all. So, if your target is to create customer awareness of the new brand that you are introducing, then the once a month effort will not be enough. Remember that combining the graphic with good PowerPoint backgrounds and color scheme is also important. With this said, Focus answers the questions:

  • Are your business efforts directed towards the attainment of your business goals?
  • Are you consistent in your effort and business activities?

Lastly, Message is the message that you want to get across to the customers or your target market. But it is to note that if you are not clear on the objectives of your business, then how can you expect that your customers will understand the message that you are imparting? Hence, your business efforts should yield the same outcome when you cleared the reasons why are you selling or offering your services, what kind of services, and why clients should buy or avail your services instead of others.

To simply put it, if you are holding a banana and you are sure that it is a banana, then your customers will definitely know that you are holding a banana and not an apple or orange. Needless to say, if you are holding a banana and your customer believed that what you are holding is an apple, then there must be something wrong.   Going back to the Continuous Picture List SmartArt graphic in Microsoft PowerPoint, you can even use this as is. Simply imagine presenting a complete business proposal and using only a one-page PowerPoint slide.

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