One scenario our clients often express frustration in, is how to get started on a presentation? They know the importance of creating an engaging and interactive presentation; yet, find themselves “stuck” when they begin to work on it. Here we will break down how to create an engaging presentation that will capture and keep your audience’s attention.

  1. The first step to create a great presentation is to layout the slides you will need. Take the time to plan out your presentation from start to finish with a quick outline. Break down the presentation into the key points and sketch out how many slides you will need. This will help you to create a cohesive presentation that effectively uses the slides to tell your story. It will also help to ensure your presentation is well-timed and engaging, without trying to cover “too much” on one slide and quickly clicking through others.
  2. Select the overall theme for your slides. Once you have created an outline for each slide, you will create the branding for your slides. Choose colors and fonts for that are easy to read as well as tie to the themes relative to the topic you are presenting. You can use multiple platforms to create the slides for your presentation. Canva, KeyNote, Prezi, Google Slides, and PowerPoint are a few platforms your team can test to find the one that offers best fit for your needs.
  3. Utilize visual aids such as pictures and charts to keep the attention of the audience. If your presentation is data heavy, consider using charts to showcase the idea you are presenting. Pictures are also a great way for your audience to visualize the presented topic. These visuals grab the attention of the crowd and give them a clear idea of what you are speaking about. In fact, according to a 3M-sponsored study “presenters who use visual aids are 43 percent more effective.”
  4. Include different forms of interactive elements in your slides. Different interactive elements include quizzes embedded in the slides, collaborative whiteboards to display ideas within the audience, and live polls to generate real-time feedback. Multiple platforms, such as PowerPoint and Mentimeter, offer programs that allow you to implement these elements into your presentation. Utilizing these elements will increase your audience participation and retention of the information you are providing.

The last step to using an interactive presentation is putting the slides into practice. Experience is often the best teacher. By using the interactive elements, you can capture the attention of your audience and receive real-time feedback on your presentation. You can then take that feedback to make your next presentation even better. We hope this quick guide helps you on your next big project!