We already addressed the question of how to make a presentation interactive in a previous article. Today, we’ll include more pointers with briefer references to expand on our given tips for public speaking and captivating audiences. 

Here are eight main ideas on how to make a presentation interactive:

1. Think out of the box
2. Make a story out of your plot
3. Bring up a person in the audience
4. Integrate stage props
5. Ask for follow-up interaction
6. Value movement
7. Play some music
8. Perfect your visuals
   

Think out of the box

Maybe not every idea that comes up when you think about how to make a presentation interactive works, but it’ll certainly help to think outside the box as you try to come up with solutions to engage your audience. 

Don’t think in linear terms about your business presentation, for instance. Instead, focus on coming up with a way you can keep a general order of your business pitch, as customary, yet tell a story in a non-linear way. Maybe reading up on narrative structures for pitching a business will help. 

However you do it, work on creating momentum, and seek to surprise. 

‍Build a plot to tell a story

You might not typically think of a pitch deck as having a plot. Yet, start envisioning it that way for more effective business pitch results. We’ve already outlined why storytelling matters in startup presentations. You can just trust that using stories is the best way to craft a pitch deck. 

You can even have a full auditorium hanging by the edge of their seats if you craft a story right. The secret to making pitches more interactive lies in using your story to move the audience along with you throughout your pitch deck structure. Everyone waits eagerly for a proper conflict resolution. 

So make sure you build your business presentation on a previously outlined plot that makes sense. 

Having the right plot, will help you overcome fear of public speaking more easily.

Call on a person in the audience

This solution is a common one when trying to make a presentation interactive. People in the circus and theater do it all the time! While you’ll be breaking customary pitch deck isolation by being the only one in stage, it’ll undoubtedly be refreshing if you can include someone else to share the presentation space with you. 

Think of your product demo, for example. That’s a perfect spot to call on someone in the audience to test your product live. 

As a heads-up, measure the time it takes to get someone up and down throughout your demo not to exceed the ideal presentation’s time. Yet, rest assured that integrating someone to your pitch deck can be very refreshing and fruitful. So much so that many famous presenters, like Steve Jobs, did this quite often. 

Be creative and apply this tip as well when presenting remotely!

Integrate stage props

Doing your presentation from a stage or from home?

Having something to see other than you in the background or on stage will also help attract an audience. It’s nothing personal, just a need for change. Think of handy props that can boost your business pitch. Aside from a product demo, there’s convincing power to be exercised in the show and tell of practical accessories. 

We’re not suggesting you put an on-stage performance with a full-fledged theatrical staging. Please don’t go overboard with this. But, if there’s a well-selected and decently-sized item you can bring with you to enhance demonstration of what you’re saying, definitely go for it. 

Practice your pitch with the use of the prop and without it in front of the same prep audience. Doing so should help you define if what you’ve chosen is the perfect fit for your pitch or whether it’s best just to leave the object at home. 

Whatever you choose should help break down otherwise tricky information, and it should also work in emphasizing at least one of your main points. 

Ask for follow-up interaction

The best way to achieve something is to ask for it. You can always just start your business pitch by laying your presentation rules out. It’s an available option to just clearly ask for people to interact as you deliver your pitch. It usually raises interaction with a simple request. 

Otherwise, you can use a one-liner to invite your audience to interact with you as a follow-up to your business pitch. Use any of the multiple online channels that are available for that. 

You can ask viewers to share their comments on a Facebook Live, to use and follow a specific Instagram hashtag as you present, to tweet about what you’ll show next, or follow a blog. There are tons of ways you can get follow-up interaction with your five or 20-minute presentation. 

Doing this will also help your leads and consumer knowledge. It’ll also grow your follower base and get your product moving, your branding powered, and much more. There are tons of positive results from going through with a blunt invitation for online or live interaction. It’s so easy and quick to achieve it makes it somewhat pointless not to include this in your next pitch. 

Remote presentation platforms offer different "raise hands" or chat features that will allow you to do this.

‍Value movement

Along with crafting the perfect pitch deck hook as an opener, there’s value in getting people to move. 

If you get to present in a physical setting, you can simply ask an audience to stand up at the beginning of your business pitch. Or you can move around yourself throughout your presentation, not to stay in a single position for 20 minutes. 

All in all, make sure you take movement into account as a valuable asset for business presenting.

Play some music

As you go through a slide or as a way to open up a new section, keep your attention placed on how to integrate music into your business pitch. 

Complement listening to your voice with some background music to particular slides or transitions. It might help your auditory setting. 

People will find their senses aroused as they hear a beat in the background. That also happens if you point them to a specific song that somehow has everything to do with the story you’re telling. Just make this relevant and not a thoughtless choice of background noise. Whatever song you choose needs to be far from disrupting. 

Perfect your visuals

The best pitch decks include stunning visuals and great design. That is just the way it is for any successful startup business pitch. However, in considering how to make a presentation interactive, definitely invest time and funds in polishing your visuals. Nothing will draw an audience to what you’re saying better than outstanding graphics. 

Imagine that graph you need or the chart that you’re currently displaying in top-notch animation quality enhancement. Your audience will absorb the data much more smoothly. You can even impress with state-of-the-art visuals in a way that sticks to your viewers. Those are perfect reference points for investors, as well. 

If the mastery of graphic design is not up your alley, we can certainly pitch in with a makeover to any pitch deck. You can also help yourself to our templates! Either way, we hope you make the best of your pitch deck. ‍

‍Create your pitch deck