Let Tech Make Your Business Presentations More Engaging

We’ve all sat through those presentations that are just not enjoyable. Our minds wander as the presenter drones on and on about whatever topic they’re presenting and even if we try hard to stay engaged, we just can’t help but wish we were somewhere else. Whether you’re presenting on a naturally fun subject like annual bonuses or on a more mundane topic such as how to compare software on different platforms. you need to keep people engaged with your presentation. Here’s how technology can make that happen.

Technology Makes Presentations Interactive

People can’t sleep through presentations that they’re expected to participate in. Technology allows you to interact with your audience to ensure they’re paying attention to your presentation and to get their opinion on your topic. Many presentation software products allow you to spontaneously poll your audience during a presentation or send them a pre-made survey during your talk to add more relevancy to your content.

For instance, if you’re presenting on potential changes to the company’s healthcare plans, you can poll the audience in real time about their favorite features of their current plan. If you’re presenting remotely, you can ask your participants to complete a survey that asks them questions about what they would want in a new healthcare plan. Be sure to give them time to complete the poll or survey, but you’ll notice that their engagement level increases when you start discussing the results.

Don’t forget that you can also interact with your own presentation live while you’re giving it. You can draw on your slides or add notes to certain important sections to call attention to them as you discuss them. Whenever an audience sees an interaction like this in real-time, they’re more likely to commit that information to memory and be able to recall it later when it’s directly applicable.

Technology Expands Your Reach

You are no longer limited to giving your presentation in a conference room or meeting hall. With technology like Zoom and other video conference software, you’re able to give your presentation to people all over the world, and with select plans, you can present to as many people as you want at one time. This accessibility is something presenters of the past could only dream of and is a way to ensure your content reaches everyone it needs to reach with one presentation.

Additionally, you’re able to record your presentations using technology and make them available to others for as long as necessary. This is particularly important for trainers who want to ensure everyone gets the same amount and type of training for consistency. It frees up the presenter’s time as well because they don’t have to physically be there to present after the first time when it’s recorded. And, if there are any mistakes or places where the content can be cut down, editing tools can shorten the presentation for accuracy and efficiency.

Technology Can Provide Insights Into an Audience

Presentation technology can really benefit marketing teams. You can put a link to your presentation on social media and invite prospects to view it. Of course, you’ll make sure to capture some personal information, such as name and email address, before they can access the content, which will then allow your marketing team to reach out to viewers and ask specific follow-up questions related to the presentation. 

Since people who view your presentation voluntarily are obviously personally interested in what you’re presenting, they are leads you can’t ignore. People don’t just watch presentations for no reason. They are usually researching a product or service they intend to purchase or they are already at that point and want to learn more about what your company offers. Either way, they’re ready for the next step on your marketing team’s nurturing plan, which is to reach out to them and close the deal.

Technology Can Make a Virtual Experience Seem Real

Through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology, you’re able to create virtual experiences that simulate real experiences. VR and AR applications are already prominent in training presentations to give users the sensation that they’re performing a real task but without the risks that may come with it in real life. There is no better interaction with an audience than having them engage directly with the presenter and the material and VR and AR make this happen.

VR and AR can be especially useful for real estate and interior design companies whose presentations depend on their audience’s imaginations. Not everyone can picture how a room or wall would look with different furnishings or artwork. VR and AR can help bring their imaginations to life by superimposing new designs on top of old ones. These industries are highly dependent on visual content to sell their products and services. VR and AR technology aid in creating content that helps audiences visualize what isn’t yet real.

Of course, right now VR and AR technology are not yet widespread in business use, but eventually, they will be. Imagine shaking hands with your audience members who are thousands of miles away or having audience volunteers try out a new product that your company is developing that isn’t ready for market yet, but a virtual version is available. The possibilities are truly endless for VR and AR and presentations will never be the same.

Technology Can Create 3D Models

Two-dimensional images are good when you’re presenting a product to a new audience, but three-dimensional images are even better. Technology is available that allows you to embed 3D models of your product into your presentation that not only captures your audience’s attention but also gives them an opportunity to interact with it. They can turn the object around to see all sides of it, providing them with more insight into its design than they can get through 2D images and text alone.

Conclusion

Software like PowerPoint and Prezi changed the world of presentations, but now those applications are stale and out-of-date unless you add other technological components to them. Fortunately, technology never stops evolving and there are plenty of innovative ways to harness the power of tech to make spectacular presentations that your audience will talk about for months, if not years.