Sales presentations sometimes get a bad rep for being dull and uninspiring. It doesn’t have to be this way though. Actually, an exciting and engaging sales presentation can be the key to capturing audiences’ attention and closing deals. This article will go through seven different ways a presentation can be made more engaging. Be wary though, while there are always ways to inject excitement into a presentation, it may not always be appropriate. Tailor your approach for the context and audience.

1. Know your audience

If any advice is to be taken away from this article, this should be the one. The strongest tool any salesperson has is knowledge of their audience. With the right use of information, presentations can be tailored to address specific interests. Take the time to research the audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points and that will guide your content and delivery. Use relatable stories and examples that resonate with your audience to capture their attention.

Research. Plan. Deliver.

2. Embrace narratives

Speaking of stories, there is a reason why they are used. Stories have the ability to captivate audiences and have been doing so since time immemorial. Incorporating storytelling into your presentation can be an effective way to connect emotionally with your audience. Craft a compelling narrative that highlights challenges and your role in their solutions. Stories have ups and downs and a presentation that is able to mimic that will engage your audience. Paint a vivid picture and create a sense of urgency, and your audience will be hooked on your every word.

Craft. Narrate. Convey.

3. Visualise data and information

While stories are able to conjure up mental pictures, visuals aid this process so much more. When audiences have to listen to you, visualise, digest the material, and come to their own conclusions, audiences are more likely to not put in the effort. Visualisations take some of the strain off of the audience, allowing them to engage more with the content. A barrage of statistics and text is overwhelming compared to neat infographics and charts that present information in a more digestible manner. These visual aids not only enhance comprehension of the content but is also visually stimulating. The more senses that can be stimulated, the more the audience’s attention will be on you.

Visualise. Simplify. Colour.

4. Engage with multimedia

Taking it a step further, go beyond just static images and text. Multimedia elements breathe a sort of life into a presentation. This dynamism – if not overdone – can be very visually stimulating and can draw attention to specific parts of the presentation. A flashing warning sign is a lot emphatic than a static one, after all. Add sounds, videos, or animations to engage different learning styles. Perhaps an interactive slideshow will engage audiences more.

Animate. Highlight. Stimulate.

5. Incorporate interactive elements and demonstrations

Bring a presentation more to life by taking it out of the slideshow and bringing it to the audience. Interactive elements break the monotony of a sales presentation by incorporating the audience into the presentation. Interactivity is one way of engaging audiences by encouraging active engagement and knowledge retention. These can be done through polls, quizzes, and Q&As among other things. Additionally, demonstrations are the perfect way for audiences to see what you’re selling first hand. Such an experience makes the presentation more memorable.

Ask. Involve. Demonstrate.

6. Inject humour and personal anecdotes

Laughter is a powerful tool for engagement. Adding the appropriate humour at the right times can create a positive and enjoyable experience. When it comes to humour though, it is important to strike the right balance and ensure that the humour aligns with the audience and topic at hand. A charismatic salesperson knows how much of themselves to add into a presentation. Even if humour might not work, sharing personal anecdotes can also work. These personal anecdotes can be used to establish rapport and build credibility with the audience. Ultimately, humour and the anecdote serve to humanise the speaker, allowing them to better connect with their audience.

Joke. Share. Connect.

7. Keep it concise

Long, monotonous, meandering presentations are a surefire way to lose the interest of your audience. Aim for brevity and conciseness instead. Focus on the key points and aim to have every part of the presentation relate to the current talking point. Now, this does not mean that longer sales presentations are bad, but they have to be able to keep the attention of the audience. To do this, make sure that there is not too much space between impactful points and break up the presentations into smaller segments. Your audience’s time is important and they would engage more if you valued it.

Hook. Focus. Progress.

Using these tips, you can make your sales presentations more interesting. If nervousness and anxiety holds you back from utilising these tips with confidence, we also have an article about overcoming presentation anxiety.