Whether you’re speaking at a conference, creating a new business pitch, meeting with a client, or hosting a webinar, keeping your audience’s attention can be a real chore. Having static Powerpoint slides loaded with text and graphs may have worked in the past, but rather than rinse and repeat the same formula, and risk putting your audience to sleep, why not switch up your business presentations? Injecting some variety can make the whole experience fun and engaging. This guide is for anyone who wants to introduce energy into their presentations using the right tools and interpersonal techniques. 

Here’s what you’ll find below on how your business presentation can be made effective:

1. Make use of interactive whiteboards
2. Create a visual experience
3. Get off the stage or invite your audience onto the stage
4. Leave room for questions
5. Hold giveaways during the session

Make use of interactive whiteboards

Electronic whiteboard presentations are nothing like your traditional projector presentations. They may serve the same purpose — to demonstrate important information — but whereas the content on a projector is static, an electronic whiteboard allows you to interact with the screen. Think of it as a large computer tablet with a touch screen monitor in the format of a whiteboard. 

Interactive whiteboards can connect to your PC or projector but rather than delivering a one-way presentation, this tool allows you to share your content with your audience or let them collaborate with you through writing or drawing directly on the board. So, if you want your audience to become part of the presentation, an interactive whiteboard can lead to a fun and effective engagement. 

Create a visual experience

You can be an expert on the subject matter, but if your presentation falls short in the design department, you may quickly lose your audience. Whether you’re using an interactive whiteboard or prefer to stick with a projector, a well-designed presentation can effectively reinforce the message you’re trying to get across. 

You can start with Microsoft PowerPoint’s collection of free templates if your business doesn’t have a template you’re required to use. As you build your slides, don’t just include facts and figures. Videos, audio effects, and even memes can help connect your presentation to stories and examples, which are more engaging and memorable than charts.

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Get off the stage or invite audience members onto the stage

Change the spot that you’re presenting from. If you want your audience to become more interested or responsive to your presentation, move your presenting angle from the stage to floor at least once. Go into the crowd and interact directly with them – perhaps invite someone to write something on your digital whiteboard. Doing this will help make your stage presence more relatable to the audience.

Leave room for questions during or after your presentation

The most effective presentations are the ones that lead to a meaningful conversation that leaves your audiences without any confusion or doubts. When planning your presentation, identify where your audience might want to ask questions and prepare for adequate responses. Even if very few people raise their hands spontaneously during your session, take a break every now and then and invite the audience to ask questions. If you’re not comfortable pausing your presentation, let the audience know that there will be a Q&A session afterwards to give them time to prepare their questions.  

Hold giveaways during your session

The content of your presentation might be enough to get people to attend your presentation or keep their attention. But a few good giveaways might be just what you need to inspire people to show up. You can offer branded merchandise like pens and notebooks to everyone in attendance or gift certificates to those who answer a question correctly. This way, your audience goes home with something that will help make your brand stick in their memory.

• READ MORE: Conference TV’s vs projector screens: which one is right for your business?

To leave a strong impression on your audience, you need to give them a lot more than just the usual business buzzwords and data charts. These tools and techniques will ensure you create an engaging, interactive atmosphere that will make your audience excited about coming to your presentations.