Do You Need a Presentation Projector?
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Presentation Projectors
A colleague commented the other day that he was presenting a sales proposal to a medium-sized company and their conference room was not equipped with a projector.
He had not prepared any handouts in advance and had to deliver the entire presentation from his laptop. (Imagine eight people all huddled around a 14.5” laptop screen.)
Of course, this is something he should have known about his prospect before he showed up to present. It seems my colleague forgot some of the Consultative Sales Training 101 Rules. For example, you never, ever go into a sales presentation without knowing a few important facts:
- Your audience (is the decision maker going to attend?)
- Their needs (and how your product meets their needs)
- The dress code (suits are not always a great choice)
- Presentation room dynamics (like, do they have a projector?)
Needless to say, he didn’t get the sale. This is probably because he knew little about his prospect and less about not having a projector, though he swore to get a good business projector and carry it with him to every presentation.
While I’m not sure that’s necessary, I do find it curious that the medium-sized company did not have one in their conference room. How do they train or present to their own employees?
What’s the Very Best Projector for the Money?
Because the range of business presentation projectors can vary by hundreds of even thousands of dollars, we put some of them to the test to see which projectors are good values for you and your business.
Primarily, you need to decide whether you want a portable unit (something that can travel and generally weighs less than 6 pounds) or a stationary unit. (If you’re reading this, then I assume you’re not trying to mount something to the ceiling and control it from a room down the hall – for that we recommend a professional.)
What the Heck Does DLP Stand For?
You will want to buy a DLP projector. DLP is an acronym for Digital Light Processing and it is superior to LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) in our opinion.
All of the recommended projectors use DLP technology to deliver crystal clear images:
ViewSonic PJ513D DLP Projector
This highly portable projector delivers amazingly clear images with the digital clarity of DLP technology with Brilliant Color. This is a great choice for small offices, classrooms or home use. It weighs under 6 pounds and produces 2,200 lumens (which is important when you want a projector). MSRP $725, though you can find it on Amazon for $435.
InFocus Work Big IN10 Ultramobile DLP Projector
This truly ultra portable DLP Projector weighs just 2.4 lbs and easily fits in your hand. While this is an unbelievably nice projector for the money, it’s not cheap. MSRP runs about $1,250, though Amazon lists it for under $1,000.
Epson PowerLite 77c 2200 Lumen Multimedia Projector
The best feature of the Epson PowerLite 77c is that it powers up in about 5 seconds. Like the ViewSonic PJ513D, it weighs about 6 pounds. Great image and great projector for the money. MSRP is $750, though Amazon sells them for less than $600.
InFocus IN24+ DLP Projector SVGA
While this DLP Projector weighs less than 6 pounds, it’s not as portable as the other three on this list. It is, however, a great office projector at a great value. While it retails for about $660, Amazon stocks it for under $590. The colors are unbelievable; the images are crisp and clear. It’s a high performance projector that’s built for rock-solid reliability.