ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Barco, a global leader in professional meeting room visualization, and independent research agency Vanson Bourne, recently conducted a global survey of 1,000 professionals from the US, UK, France and Germany to identify how important presentation technology has become in affecting the overall success of an organization.

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The survey reveals the direct link between effective presentation skills and technology to drive business growth. Forty percent of professionals present in meetings several times a week and 85 percent use technology to deliver presentations, citing its centrality to successful business outcomes. Just over half (51 percent) of respondents think the right technology is equally as important, or even more important, than having the right presenter; however, 81 percent experience technology issues when presenting

“A great presentation is defined by three key factors - the technology delivery, confidence and clarity of the presenter,” said Lieven Bertier, Head of Product Management ClickShare for Barco. “Presentation technology is often overlooked, but when it becomes a part of the presenter’s strategy, it improves the ability of the presenter and audience to focus on the information. Our research proves that seamless technology that functions reliably enables the presenter to maintain composure and produce positive results.”

Additionally, the survey found that technology proved to be a pivotal component of the success or failure of a presentation. However, nearly half (47 percent) admitted their organization’s technology sometimes fails, while 55 percent said their organization’s technology could be better in helping them to deliver more successful presentations.

In addition to the survey, Barco collaborated with Nick Fitzherbert, a noted presentation skills coach, known for his ability to apply the rules of magic to train and educate the business community. “Workplace technology is evolving to meet the demands and expectations of employees for more innovative solutions,” stated Fitzherbert. “For example, wireless connection can 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.”

Additional Key survey findings:

• 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.
• 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 60 percent stated that conducting presentations helped build a personal reputation and 45 percent of participants reported they were able to win new business based on their exceptional ability.
• 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.

To view the full survey results please visit www.barco.com/present2win.

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.

About Barco

Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops networked visualization products for the Entertainment, Enterprise and Healthcare markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and APAC. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with 3,300 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 1.029 billion euros in 2015.

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