Props - Cover - FreePowerPointTemplates

How many people remember this guy? Sure, you may not have been a fan of his music, but you have to admit, he was memorable. We can all learn something about being memorable from Weird Al. After all, as a presenter, you’re also a performer on a stage.

Having a memorable presentation is crucial for success in getting a new idea across. Most effective stories and performances are memorable. As you already know, pictures are a very effective tool in presentations. But using props is even more effective when presenting to a live audience. It even works for people watching a video recording of the presentation if the video is a good production.

But I’m Not A Comedian

After reading the above example, you might be thinking: What does comedy have to do with my presentations? Fair enough. Take for example this image:

Props - Powell anthrax vial - FreePowerPointTemplates

You might recognize this picture of Colin Powell holding a vial of fake anthrax. This prop effectively sold his entire case. For good or bad, props can prove to be incredibly effective in driving a point home in many different situations.

Use The Power of Imagination

One of the most memorable TED talks to date is this one given by brain researcher Jill Bolte. People are still drawn to her talk when they see the picture of her holding a brain. Even people who don’t particularly want to know about strokes have watched her talk because of the prop she used.

This single prop has helped her spread her idea worth sharing to millions of people in the world. This is not only because the prop attracted attention, it is also because the prop was integral to her topic. Once you start watching her pretension, you can’t help it but listen.

These are few of the many examples that prove to us the ability of props to catapult an idea forward.

Image: Weird Al [CC BY 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

Image: At the UN, Colin Powell [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Image: [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr