How to Deliver an Engaging Presentation

5 Tips to Captivate Your Audience and Make Your Message Stick

I’ve sat through thousands of presentations… Online, in-person, webinars, seminars… you name it. And I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes the challenge) of delivering quite a few myself.

Here are 5 of the most useful and valuable tools I’ve picked up along the way, mostly from watching other team members, colleagues, and in some cases, full-blown professionals knock it out of the park.

1. Tease them into paying attention.  

A group of four colleagues I call the “brothers” delivered an epic presentation on Power BI at the office recently. Now, normally, you'd expect something technical, maybe a bit dry and overwhelming for those not in the know. But these guys — who you’d usually peg as reserved M&E specialists — were absolute rockstars that day.

Here’s what stuck with me: they didn’t start with definitions or long-winded introductions. Instead, they led with jaw-dropping visuals of what Power BI can do. An interactive dashboard, full of detailed, layered data that was engaging, colourful, and super interactive. They showed us the magic of the tool first, before explaining anything. No fluff, no jargon — just pure wow factor. We were all hooked, sitting up straight, hanging on to every word because they made us want to learn how to do that.

Tip #1 - When you need to teach or present something, start by showing them the magic. They’ll be more likely to pay attention to the details later.

2. Have your side tools open and ready.  

The next brilliant move from the “brothers” was being fully prepared — and I mean, fully. Their dummy Excel sheet for Power BI? Ready and emailed to us ahead of time. The tools, apps, and documents they needed were all queued up and lined up in tabs. They even created a folder in the shared drive with everything we’d need for future reference. No fumbling through personal files or accidentally flashing irrelevant (or embarrassing) tabs — it was all seamless.

This made them look cool, collected, and totally in control. And it kept us, the audience, totally engaged, with zero distractions. We didn’t lose momentum because everything was flowing smoothly.

Tip #2 - Always close personal tabs and documents before presenting. No one needs to see your resignation letter while you’re trying to find the right slide. (Yes, that really happened to someone. Story for another day!)

"The best part of presenting is sharing and learning from others and the experience. Everything else is a bonus. " - Araba Ainooson

3. Call everyone by name.  

Here’s a simple but powerful one: ask your audience to write their names on sheets of paper and place them in front of them. Then, use their names throughout the session.

I recently attended a training where the facilitator did this. He made sure to call everyone by name as he asked questions or invited participation. It was such a small thing, but it made a huge difference. We all felt seen, and it kept everyone more engaged because, let’s face it, no one wants to blank out when they hear their name called.

Tip #3 - People respond to their names — it makes them feel important and included. And it keeps them on their toes!

4. Use videos and challenges whenever you can.  

It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many presentations miss out on the magic of video. I use videos all the time — for icebreakers, to summarize complex points, or even as a challenge to spark competition. In fact, I’ve seen entire 5-hour workshops condensed into 60-second clips that deliver the punch of a long session.

Videos grab attention, especially when attention starts to wane. They help explain concepts quickly and memorably.

Tip #4 - Don’t just talk at your audience — throw in a quick video or interactive challenge to break things up and keep them engaged.

5. Enjoy it.  

The most engaging presenters are the ones who are clearly enjoying themselves. It doesn’t matter if the projector fails or if your slides suddenly disappear — when you’re excited about what you’re presenting, that energy is infectious. And if you’re not particularly jazzed about the content, find something to get excited about, whether it’s the opportunity to present, the people in the room, or even the fact that you get to wear your favourite outfit.

Tip #5 - Passion is contagious. If you’re not feeling it, fake it till you make it — find something fun or energizing about the experience, and it’ll come through in your delivery.

Don’t Forget, each presentation is unique and it won't always be perfect. Tweak and adapt as you go along but the best part of presenting is sharing and learning from others and the experience. Everything else is a bonus.