How do you create engaging presentations?
Do you want to grasp the attention of your audience every second with engaging presentations? After reading this blog you will know how to turn a presentation into an experience. We will line up the best practices for you, giving you the tools and ways to make your presentation interactive.
Engaging presentations can be a big challenge
The biggest challenge with presentations is keeping your audience engaged. How often do you see them sneaking a look at their phone or watching their smartwatch when you are giving your presentation? The solution is to keep your presentation engaging and interactive. It might not be as simple as you hope, because it requires effort and practice. Presentation skills are also important but those can be developed with enough practice and hard work. An example of this is creating a connection with your audience, which is important to building a relationship with them. That will make them take your words more seriously and trust your presentation.
Create interactive powerpoints
The first step is to create an interactive presentation online or in any other programme you’re used to. Implement questions during long informative points to keep your audience engaged and guessing. Start with an icebreaker, for example, a really weird question that you can somehow relate to your topic or start with a funny anecdote. You need to start off strong, that way everyone who is present will be immediately hooked to your lips and they will be more likely to keep listening closely until the end. The icebreaker is also there to help you relax before getting into the topics of your presentation.
Also, try to avoid bullet points. If you want to sum up some things, consider putting images or icons there instead of bullet points. A short video has also proven to work, but beware! It has to be of added value to your presentation and the audience. If it’s too long or doesn’t hit the right mark, people will lose their attention to you. These are just some tips for the best interactive presentations.
Skills needed for an engaging presentation
Humour. Try to be yourself and keep things light (in consideration of your topic). This is the first skill that can separate you from ordinary presentations. Funny slides can help with this but try not to overuse them as it can make you look unprofessional. But using a joke in your monologue here and there will lighten the mood and keep the attention of your audience. Use your hands, and walk around! Can you remember the last engaging presentation you saw where the presenter was standing completely still the whole time? It is okay to be nervous, so walk around to shake it off and look at different audience members. Do try to keep your nerves in check and look calm from the outside, this will also give the viewers the feeling of being at ease. Make eye contact with them, even if it’s just for a few moments.
Don’t forget that you are telling a story and trying to convince them, some people can easily go into ranting or summing things up about certain topics. And to end things off, try to conclude your monologue on a serious note. Maybe relate back to your icebreaker but try to give a solid message in your closing statement. If you use too much humour here the audience might not take you seriously. If you take all these points into consideration you can create an interactive presentation.
How you can keep giving engaging presentations
If you’ve had your first success with an interactive presentation, don’t stop there! Keep on giving presentations and practising your skills. Keep them short and simple, practice at home or in front of colleagues or partners and keep developing your skills. Try to find your own style, and the body language you want to reflect the audience and experiment with different visual and audio effects in your interactive presentations. Also think of questions the audience might ask beforehand, so you are prepared to answer anything.
Conclusion
Giving an engaging presentation takes work and practice. If you need help, we at Sami Kayyali are equipped with the right experience to create beautiful and professional presentations. Whether you need it for print or digital online platforms, we can help you with every step of the way from design to content creation. So for help with creating an interactive PowerPoint presentation, see our services for more practical tips and tricks on design.