Using props and exhibits to make your presentation more memorable

One of our clients is a major business creating and marketing household products. They have a wonderful array of products in colourful and interesting packaging. Sometimes they will present these as photo inserts in PowerPoint. However, when they present using the product itself both the presenter and the presentation comes alive. It becomes interesting and therefore more memorable. It’s not just another 40 PowerPoint slides that the audience have to watch. Maybe they can touch the products, even drop them on the floor to see how robust they are and so on.

There are a few ‘rules’ about using an object in a presentation. First, practice using it. Keep it hidden until you’re ready to use it. Hold it high so that the audience can see it. Talk to the audience, not the object. When you’ve finished with it, put it down.

Even if you don’t make physical objects, you can use everyday objects to make your point. A wallet or purse to represent investment or spending. A fire extinguisher to represent immediate access to help. A mobile phone to represent the speed of modern communications. A table or chair to represent the need to be supported by a number of ‘legs’ – too few and it falls over.

It takes imagination and confidence to use objects in a presentation. But you probably have more of both than you realise. So for your next presentation, choose some props and see the difference.