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15 ways to deliver a wow presentation (virtual or in-person)

Discover what a wow presentation looks like today and impress your audience with these ideas for strong interactive presentation design and delivery.

Say goodbye to bad presentations– crowded with too many bullet points, copied from a generic template, monotone, or in general just lackluster. Make better use of everyone’s time! With meeting fatigue and shorter and shorter attention spans, delivering a wow presentation is the best way to go in the future of work. 

What is a wow presentation? It’s one that goes beyond static slides to captivate the audience’s attention. It’s one that considers every audience member and connects them to the content presented, to inspire desired actions. With Kahoot! as your interactive presentation software, you can wow your audience by turning any session into a memorable experience. Whether you’re going hybrid, in-person, or delivering a completely virtual presentation, aim for that “wow factor” that will set you apart.

 

Presentation checklist: Must-haves for a wow presentation

✓ Simplicity
✓An engaging narrative
✓ Audience involvement
✓ Value
✓ Stand-out visuals
✓ A prepped presenter
✓ Clarity on desired audience actions

Presentation checklist

 

In need of specific ideas to check the 7 items above? We have created a list of 15 ways to deliver a wow presentation. It encompasses tips for strong presentation design AND delivery.

1. Keep it simple
2. Start strong with an interactive icebreaker
3. Teach the audience something new
4. Consider the audience’s perspective
5. Be inclusive of both introverts and extroverts
6. Spark friendly competition
7. Let everyone use their favorite tool: their phone
8. Add high-quality media
9. Brand your presentation
10. Use data visualization
11. Design and present with a trustworthy platform
12. Add background music during transitions
13. Practice
14. Use your hands
15. Gather insights to follow up

 

1. Keep it simple.

Following the footsteps of world-renowned presenters like Steve Jobs who had a “less is more approach,” steer clear of causing information overload! This applies to both presentation design and structure, and delivery. 

First off, ensure your overall narrative is easy to follow. For example, an impactful, yet simplified presentation structure could be:

– Interactive icebreaker
– Introduction
– Topic importance
– Evidence or details about the topic
– Audience input
– Conclusion reinforcing takeaways and next steps
– Feedback collection

Then, go for less text, less bullet points, and less slides. Use language that is easy to understand, and simplify your content with storytelling elements– a short story can definitely go a long way! Keep only the necessary slides and interactive questions that contribute to the narrative or upgrade the audience experience.

 

2. Start strong with an interactive icebreaker.

Before diving into your main content, warm up the crowd by starting on a light, energizing note. Icebreakers can be a great addition to any type of presentation and can range from being fun, uniting, thought-provoking, or enlightening; the possibilities are endless. 

Break the ice with a quick puzzle, a poll, or trivia, for example. And get ready to captivate your audience’s attention and make them look forward to what’s coming next. Gather inspiration with this list of icebreakers for meetings and presentations sorted by purpose and group size.

 

3. Teach the audience something new.

Aha moments are more memorable than a speaker stating the obvious. Elevate your presentation by letting your audience take away some knowledge from the experience.

An easy and engaging way to do so is with live quizzes (a Kahoot! original). You can introduce a topic with a pop quiz that sets the scene for learning, or mix up your slides with quiz questions in between to reinforce learning throughout your entire presentation. 

At your next all-hands meeting, for instance, ask your audience, “What has been our top market this year?” and let them select from up to 6 answer options. Even if they guess wrong, the right answer is an inspiring knowledge nugget they’ll remember.

 

4. Consider the audience’s perspective.

 

 “Most presenters are consumed with preparing their content rapidly, which makes the material about their own narrow perspective.” Nancy Duarte, presentation expert

 

You want to tell your story. But, to do so effectively your audience must feel at least somewhat connected to your topic. One way to go audience-centric is by welcoming your audience’s perspectives too! Make their ideas part of your content.

 Design your next virtual presentation or in-person session to have open-ended questions, polls, and brainstorms to uncover ideas and suggestions in between your slides. Watch as answers come up on the shared screen for everyone to process and potentially relate to.

 Open-ended questions that start with “what” or “how” will spark more varied (and therefore interesting) answers:
What do you think is the biggest challenge of _____?
How would you improve ______?
What is a benefit of _______?
What was your favorite part of this session?

Get inspiration to involve your audience during your next session!

 

5. Be inclusive of both introverts and extroverts.

In the journey to turn your audience into active participants, why not make your presentation one where both introverts and extroverts can participate? Let people share their questions, ideas, and feedback anonymously!

Opt for hosting a modern online presentation where everyone can be a part of the conversation without the need to always raise their hand.

 

6. Spark friendly competition.

Boost audience engagement by making the session more like a game! With interactive questions in between your slides, this can be completely effortless. 

Gamified elements such as a timer and automatic points awarded for each correct answer will have individual audience members (or teams) on the edge of their seats. They’ll be paying closer attention to your presentation for a chance to make the coveted podium.

Kahoot! podium on screen at a presentation for an event

 

7. Let everyone use their favorite tool: their phone.

How about a presentation with a twist? Make it extra simple to grab and hold your audience’s attention by making their preferred mobile device the place where a lot of the action happens. 

Within an interactive presentation created in Kahoot!, everyone has a chance to share, vote, and answer to win (in case you do decide to spark some friendly competition) from the palm of their hand. This works for big and small presentations, whether in-person, remote or in-between. Talk about a wow presentation!

 

8. Add high-quality media.

Stand-out presentation visuals

 

Bring your next presentation to life with stand-out visuals that actually add value. Upload your own media, or save time with in-platform libraries for images, GIFs, and stickers. You could also consider adding a short video from popular video-sharing websites like Youtube or Vimeo. 

While most decks do have some images, these can be boring or otherwise take away from presentation design and delivery of their poor quality. Always insert the highest-quality media you can find, and do so thoughtfully on every slide!

 

9. Brand your presentation.

Make an impression that lasts. If it’s an internal presentation, your colleagues will love an immersive experience they feel a part of. Customize your presentation using themes to reflect your brand identity and strengthen belonging. 

If you are presenting to external stakeholders, benefit from consistent visuals through your interactive presentation to stay top-of-mind during and after your session. 

Kahoot platform with custom themes

 

10. Use data visualization.

There’s no denying that awesome graphs help tell the story better than long bullet points.
Keep this in mind for not only historical data you may plan to present, but also insights and input you may collect from your audience while presenting. 

Take advantage of the automatic creation of awesome graphs and charts within presentation platforms. Ask an audience a question and see results represented graphically or ideas categorized, all within seconds!

 

11. Design and present with a trustworthy platform.

Prevent as many mishaps and technical problems as possible. Opt for presentation tools that are trusted by other leaders. And ones built to make everything easier for you, the presenter, to ultimately deliver a wow presentation! 

If you’re delivering a hybrid or virtual presentation, double-check whether your platform of choice is able to integrate with video conferencing platforms – like Zoom – for a smoother experience. If you’re leading an in-person session, go modern by hosting an online presentation on a platform that’s tried and tested to be seamlessly interactive, like Kahoot! (you can import your slides, customize them on Kahoot!, or use Kahoot! as an integration within PowerPoint).

Add Powerpoint slides to Kahoot! presentation

 

12. Add background music during transitions.

Break the awkward silence! Let attendees enjoy a tune as you get ready to start presenting, and also when it’s time for them to answer a question or share input.

Go for music that suits your style as a presenter, and the audience or topic presented. Some tunes, like the Kahoot! lobby music will help boost everyone’s mood and make your presentation a more immersive experience. You can easily turn it off or turn it down if you find it distracting or turn it on for a breather from speaking as people type their answers to your interactive questions.

 

13. Practice.

Most lists on tips for public speaking recommend practicing, and for good reason! Confidence sells. Boost your confidence and shake those nerves by ensuring you know your stuff.

Consider practicing in front of an audience, even if it’s just 1 or 2 people. Experts recommend rehearsing under stress to deliver the best presentation. With a great, interactive presentation deck to support you as you speak, you’ll be set for success.

 

14. Use your hands.

Take note of your body language. Hand gestures while presenting, even when it’s a virtual presentation, can be a good thing. They show commitment to getting your message across, help you highlight certain points, and can make it easy for your audience to follow along your wow presentation.

 

15. Gather insights to follow up. 

Kahoot! reports to follow-up after a presentation

Take a minute at the end of your presentation to quickly collect feedback. It could be as simple as adding a live poll with the question: “Did you find this presentation useful?,” or asking “What do you want to see in the next one?,” if it’s a recurring session. Additionally, if you’re training a group you could test knowledge and identify knowledge gaps with quizzes and type-answer question types in Kahoot!.

With insights collected in real-time, it’ll be easier to efficiently follow up with the next steps and improve for next time.

 

Deliver an in-person, hybrid, and virtual presentation to impress

Losing your audience, or never captivating their attention to begin with, can be nerve wracking.  And it can happen in an instant today. 

Making an impression makes a difference. Make the most of your time as a presenter by boosting audience engagement with a wow presentation. That’s what will make them remember you and your message, and inspire the action(s) you want.

See how to deliver a wow presentation with Kahoot! 360 today.