Other Presentation Ideas Besides PowerPoint

If you think about every presentation you have ever been to, there’s a good chance that most of them included a PowerPoint slideshow. While this can certainly be a useful tool, it’s also a tool that has been used time and time again. It’s tough to wow audiences with a presentation that uses the same dull PowerPoint template that we have all seen dozens of times before. The fact is, creating a presentation is about more than just piecing together text and visuals to create a slideshow. The purpose of a presentation is to deliver a message in a way that impacts the audience. If you are looking for a unique way to stand out from the crowd, consider using a different strategy for your next presentation. Here are a few ways to engage your audience without using PowerPoint. 

Props

Most workers spend a good part of their day staring at a computer screen. They are numb to the sound of clicking keys, the dings of new emails, and the beige walls of their office. If you really want to captivate your audience, offer them something different. Instead of asking them to stare at yet another screen, invite them to explore other senses. Rather than describing your new product on a slideshow, bring a prototype of it and allow the audience to touch and feel it. Instead of telling your audience how wonderful this new bakery is, bring a few samples for them to taste and smell. Not only do props entice the senses, but they make the audience feel emotionally connected to the presentation. 

Videos

It’s true that visuals can be a great way to supplement and reinforce information, but try choosing a visual other than a slideshow. A video clip can enchant, captivate, motivate, and thrill an audience in a matter of seconds. It’s a great way to increase audience interest when it’s relevant to the point you are making. Videos can make a great intro or ending and they can also be used somewhere in the middle to create just the right emotional atmosphere. 

Music

Inmagine a movie trailer without the music. Would it have the same effect? Would you be just as inclined to see the movie? Music has a unique way of evoking an emotional response and this can be even more powerful than spoken words. Incorporate music into parts of your presentation and give your presentation a soundtrack much like a movie trailer. 

A Flip Chart

Who needs technology when you have your arm and a magic marker? Sure, it may seem old-fashioned but a flip chart can do something that PowerPoint cannot- it allows you to create right in front of your audience’s eyes. The simple act of drawing on a flip chart will draw your audience in and immediately capture their attention. 

Demonstrations

Muck like a prop, demonstrations immediately make things more interesting. Think about the last time you went to a show and the entertainer asked for a volunteer from the audience? Chances are you instantly perked up, eager to see what would happen next. Now, apply this same mentality to a presentation. Would you rather read about something on a slideshow or watch someone do it right in front of you? 

Involve the Audience

If you really want to capture interest ,make the audience part of your presentation. There are a number of ways you can do this. You can conduct a Q&A session and allow the audience to control where the presentation goes. You could also break them into small groups and get them to respond to a challenge, question, or problem and have them report back to the group. You can give them supplies and ask them to create something. You can also invite them to share feedback in real time via instagram or some other social media platform. No matter which method you choose, involving the audience allows you to bring your presentation to life in a way that is much more engaging than PowerPoint.